Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

This is a copycat recipe for a Cheesecake Factory dish which I've never had before so I can't compare it to the original, but this one from Food, Folks, and Fun is really good. I love all the layers of flavors. They're kinda like loaded nachos. Don't be scared away by the several different components because they're all easy and come together quickly. I personally won't make the Southwest sauce next time. I think it's great with just the sour cream, but that's a personal preference. To speed up the corn cakes mixing, after processing the corn, I just threw the butter and other ingredients in the next steps into the food processor and blended it in there, being careful not to process too much after adding the flour and masa harina. Then I mixed in the remaining corn by hand.It made 4 corn cakes, but I only took a photo of 2 of them. Look at all those pretty colors!

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

For the Salsa Verde:

2 tomatillos, roughly chopped

1 (4-oz. can) diced green chilies, drained

1 green onion, sliced thin

2 T. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 ½ t. granulated sugar

¼ t. ground cumin

¼ t. salt

⅛ t. ground black pepper

For the Pico De Gallo:

1 large Roma tomato, diced

1 T. red onion, diced

1 T. fresh cilantro, minced

½ t. lime juice

Salt and ground pepper to taste

For Southwestern Sauce:

½ c. mayonnaise

1 t. white vinegar

1 t. water

½ t. granulated sugar

½ t. chili powder

¼ t. paprika

⅛ t. cayenne pepper

¼ t. onion powder

⅛ t. garlic powder

For the Corn Cakes:

1 ½ c. frozen sweet corn

½ c. butter, softened to room temperature

3 T. sugar

⅛ t. salt

½ c. corn masa harina flour

2 T. all-purpose flour

1½ T. olive oil

For Garnish:

Sour cream

Avocado, diced

Fresh cilantro, chopped

For the Salsa Verde:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until combined, but still a little chunky. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and chill at least 1 hour.

For the Pico De Gallo:

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and toss. Cover and chill at least 1 hour

For the Southwestern Sauce:

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix until well combined. Cover, and chill at least 1 hour.

For the Corn Cakes:

add 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor until it's coarsely pureed. In a medium bowl add the pureed corn, softened butter, sugar, and salt. Mix until combined.

Add masa harina and flour and mix until no flour streaks remain. Add the remaining ½ cup of frozen corn kernels, and mix until corn is evenly distributed.

Measure ½ cup portions of the mixture and use your hands to form them into 3-inch wide patties.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet and preheat over medium-low heat. Add the patties to the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, another 5-8 minutes.

To assemble, add the Salsa Verde to platter and spread it evenly. Heat the platter in the microwave for 1 minute. Place the corn cakes on top of the warmed Salsa Verde, and evenly distribute the Pico De Gallo and Southwestern Sauce over the tops. Dollop with sour cream, and garnish with avocado and cilantro. Serve immediately.